Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-03
BETTING BY THE CLOCK.
The Fluctuations of Mysterious
Stocks automatically Registered.

The Fluctuations of Mysterious
Stocks automatically Registered.
From the Mem York STU.
Perhaps of all the methods ever invented
by ingenious gamblers to coax from. the
pockets of the Glands" their weekly sti.
ponds or the cash they can Deg, borrow or
embezzle, the most insidi0us is that
which ia to be found at No. 60 Broad
street. A reporter Tor the Star yesterday
visited the establishment, which Is pre-
sided over by Campbell Il Co., and found
there all sorts of devotees OF fortune, from
the full-fledsed member OF the Stock EX-
change and the soalper OF the New YORK
Produce Exchange to the curbstone
broker. Two sets OF quotations are on
the boards. Upon one is recorded the ao-
tual transactions OF the Stock Exchange
as transmitted by the "bucket shop
swiTe," and these quotations ara correct,
although surreptitiouSly obtained. Upon
the other board IS recorded :he various
fluctuations, which are made by purely
mechanical c0ntrivance, on certain al
legged mining stocks supposed 10 be con-
trolled by the company who owns the
franchise of the apparatus which auto
matically makes the quotations. The
proprietors, OF course, disclaim any in
gambling, but even the most casual in
vesugation by any one versed in games
of chance will be sufficient 10 convince
him that 1t is q game OF chance.
Said Mr.. Campbell to a reporter: al
patented this apparatus several years ago
In Chicago, and opened an Office under
the regular Board OF Trade in that city.
Many of the brokers there investigated
my way OF doing business, and were sat.
istied to trade with me even during the
business hours Of the regular board.
Now. there's man-potnting TO a gentle
man who had just entered the office-who
did the first trade on the clockwork board
in Chicago. He had been unfortunate
among his associates of the legitimate
and came TO my place to make up his
losses. He was SUCCESSFUL aud went back
to the board, although not as mem Der,
and was able to do Il good business. He
made good deal of money out OF us.
was surprised to see him here"
Inquiry of the gentleman referred to
corroborated these statements, but also
set forth the fact that ne mad continued
bis specul ations until he was willing TO
come TO New York and take salaried
position.
The operations of the clockwork quota
ton apparatus is entirely and absolutely
alternative, Ii consists of a dial which
at half.minute intervals records first the
advance of some certain stock, and below
that the decline Of the same or another
stock. These shares are lettered +. NJ.
g., N. M. c.. I'll. NJ. c., L. N. G. and z.
Nj. c., supposed, according TO the buIle.
tin conspicuous in the office of Messrs.
Campbell d Co., to represent the stocks
of the Fenefla Mining Company, the Mer-
chants anu Manufacturing Company, The
Hettie Mining Company and the Ferro
Mining Company, the control OF which,
Mr.. Campbell claims, has been obtained
by his company for $4,000. What is
done with the other mining companies on
the list OF the corporation Is not given
out.
To reporter for the Star Mr.. Camp.
bell said yesterday: ''Our methods are
perfectly legal. We have had here
Messrs. Anthony Comstook and Inspector
Byrnes, besides various members OF the
Stock Exchange. They have invariably
attested their belief in the fairness of our
dealings, and one prominent stock brok Ell
SAID to-day he would be glad to call upon
us again."
Nj. Campbell added: "Of course there
are times when the whole of our list will
move in one direction-that is, the clock
Will go against us, and the sums we then
pay out are something enormous, but
they generally-in tact, nevitably-come
back, and we reap not only the profits OF
the transactions, but the commission OF
q per cent, which pays our expenses
and more"
The ingenious apparatus which records
these quotations was patented by Mr.,
Campbell on May 4, 1886, and gives to tue
inventor the right to make, vend or
otherwise use the tickers and quotations
of the company or party furnishing the
natr
the quotations only by automatic process.
In illustrating this Mr.. Campbell. stood
by the machine and gave out the changes,
Which, on examination by the Star re-
porter, were proven to depend entirely on
chanoe.
Replying to the question as to how he
hoped to evade the law on gambling, Mr..
Campbell said:
81 have here a certain number of stock
which l propose TO sell at the price
marked by nv Indicator, and will take IL
back at the same price. The stock men,
toned represents the shares of regularly
organized mining companies, for the con
troll of which l paid $4,000. Iwould like
to see any one force me out OF the privi-
lege of bartering IN them or the right OF
charging Is of l per cent. or more or less
as ! choose"
Two stocks--F. M. q. ana NJ. NJ. c.
cnange point at time, ana yesterday
they varied from l TO % points. Other
stocks change from 1 TO II at a quota
ton, and vary accordingly. All of these
companies, AS represented by Mr.. Camp
bell, have regularly organized boards OF
trustees, but, as was said by a prominent
Consolidated Exchange broker, ''if they
exist outside OF the 'clock,' they are no.
thing but prospect holes, Incorporated to
give a sembiance OF legality to what Is
nothing more nor less than game OF
chance"